PANIC STRUCK the office of divisional railway manager (DRM) in Hazratganj area Friday after a railways contractor was killed in a shootout between two groups fighting over a contract, police said.

Ashish Pandey alias Naatu (26), a resident of Para locality, suffered a bullet injury in his stomach and died while undergoing treatment at KGMU. Police are conducting raids to arrest the rival contractor, identified as Pappu Singh, who had allegedly fired at Pandey. The alleged shooter had escaped from the spot after snatching a scooter from a local shopkeeper.

The victim, who himself had a criminal past having served time in prison, had arrived at the DRM’s office Friday morning to file the tender for a contract related to engineering section.

Station House Officer, Hazratganj police station, Vijay Mal Singh Yadav said the rival group of contractors too arrived there and asked Pandey to withdraw his claim.

Standing near the parking lot on the office premises, they indulged in a verbal duel, which turned into a scuffle. Pandey was overpowered and badly thrashed even as a constable of the Railway Protection Force, who was present on duty there, intervened and forced the rival group to leave.

Police said Pappu Singh and his group returned and engaged in another scuffle, which turned ugly when the accused whipped out a pistol and fired at Pandey, eyewitnesses said.

While others escaped after the shootout, Pappu ran outside firing in the air and forcibly took the scooter from a shopkeeper at gunpoint to escape from the spot.
SHO added that Pandey was rushed to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries around 3.30 pm.